Gear-rim holder



Aug. 10', 192

H. PHILLIPS GEARRIM HOLDER Filed March 24, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WITNESSES:

Aug. 10 1926. 1,595,725

' w. H. PHELLEPS GEAR RIM HOLDER Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. PHILLIPS, or ASPINWALL, rENNsY vaNrmnssrGuoR To B; n. NU'r'rALL 7 COMPANY, A. CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA;

GEAR-31M HOLDER;-

Applieationfiled March 24; 192-1.." swarm; 455,020}- My invention relates :toholders for gear rims, and it has for its object the provision of means whereby gear rims may behandled" expeditiously and maintained against" distortion While undergoing heat treatment:-

Heretoforle; the practice'ha-s been to" heat the "gear rims inaffurnaceand then to-re-- move them to a quenching bath; Incoolin'g, the gear rimr was apt to' shrink unevenly thus becoming distorted both radially and axially." Frequently distortions occurred also-while the rims'were being'heated;

'By my device, the gear rim, on its re moval-from thefurnace, is subjected to" the action of shapingmembers which correct Fig. lisa detail-view of a modification of the-device of F ig; r

lteferring' more' particularlyto Fig; 2, I provide a cylinder 1 having a piston 5 -connected to a'rod'o. The rod 6 has a shouldered portion 7 against which abutaconical shaped wedge member 8 and a collar -9.' A

springlO, carried on the outer end of the rod, maintains the-wedge member 8 in -yield-' ing contact withthe shoulder 7;

A bracketll is supported from the cyl1nider t-by a plurality of bars 12, and carried in the circumferential offset of thebracket 11 are six wedge members 13 connectedyby means of rods llandbell -cranls'"15, to-the bracket-11 (see Fig. 1). Each pairot-rods lt-serves to support the adjacent ends'of two wedge members; Also carried-on the bracket are a serles of segments 16providedwithslots 24 Which co-oper'ate with' screw's 25f'to form a-sliding engagement'between the bracket and segments. Removably secured to each of the segments 16' is a shouldared face plate 17 Q Between the wedge members 13- and the segmental members 16"and 17 is adisc-like 'member 18 yieldinglyhheld against thewedges 13 by a spring 19and b'olt-20, to nor- "mally maintain themember 18 in released PATENT, OFFICE.

position and" to assistin moving the Wedges to" retracted position.

Pivotallymounted-in the split collar 9'a1e' six levers 21 which extend into the slots in the upper arms of thebell cranks, so=that vertical movement of the'collar will cause;

the arms 21 to rock 'the bellcrank about 1 theirpivots;

In operation, the apparatus is carriedby; acrane' tothe furnace door; Thepiston 5 and wedge members 8 and 13-all being in retracted position, and the segments 16 also retracted,- a gear rim is removed from the furnace and the" lower end of the holder is droppedinto p1ace'*w'ithin' the gear rim, so that the annular member18"restsuponthe gear rim. Fluid pressure is then'admitted to the cylinder through'a pipe 22, causing the piston to move upward and draw the Wedge 8* against the segments 16 and expanding them until their face" members 17 tightly engage the inner face ofythe gear rim. The-length ottravel-of the rod 6, and

consequently the amount of expanding pressure exertedon the gear rim by the spring 10, acting through the wedge 8 and segments 16, is governed by the adjusting screw 23.

The pressure thus exerted against the gear rim corrects any ra'dial distortion caused by th 'he'at or the furnace, and holds itagainst radial distortion during the quenching and cooling operation.

. The-rod 6, on' its upward movement, carries with it thecollar 9, and, by reason of the engagement between the levers 21, bell cranks 15 and levers ll, the-- wedges 13 are drawn inwardly, thus forcing the annular member 18 l against the upper edge of the gear riln-ancl-maintai'ning the gear rim in tight engagement betwee'mthe' member andthe 'shoulder'on each of the face memhers- 17 The pressure on theedges of the gear-rim straightens' any axial distortions resulting from the heating operation, and prevents any such distortions during the quenching and cooling operation. This movement of the annular member 18 is so for theinner face of the gear rim,th e re be ing "only sufficient space between each" of these plates and between thesegments 16 to permit retraction of the segmental members what, as indicated in Fig. 3,for the purpose ofsealing the gear rim at .these points from contact, with the quenching fluid, so that '15 ..the entire inner face of the gear rim will be ofuniforin hardness. j I 1 instead of overlapping theface plates, the gap between adjoining face members maybe sealed, as shown inl ige, by means sofplates 28.,lying in; recesses 29formed in the; adjoining membersand "bridging the space betweenvthem, "oneend of each plate being screw-fastened' in the 'recess of one face member, and J the other end extending across the gap and lying in therecess; of

the adjoining gse mental face member.

Afterthe gear has been dipped in the uenchino solution and cooled suflicientl V q o i i i 2 the fluid pressure is exhausted from the fijcylinder 4, allowing the rod 6 to drop by the action {of gravity, thus. moving; the wedges 8 and 13 to their release position to permit retractionof the segments 16 to} releaseithe gear rim, and thus placing the =Tparts in position to receive another gear rim from the furnace..

It is possible to substitute a positivestop member forthe spring 10, to hold thewedge 8 in position, but n practice it has been feund desirable to provide a yielding resistance to the radialshrinkage ofthe gear v rim, for the reason that a rigidfresistance is quite likely to cause the gearrimto.

6, the pressure exerted by the spring 10 can be madesufiic-ient to correct andto prevent radial distortions of the gear mm, but. per-- mitting it to yield under shrinkage strains which iwould otherwise cause the rim to crack. V To provide for theaccommodation of gear rims-of various widths and diameters, the

face plates 17 are made removable, to permit other plates of a different width or thicknessto be substituted when desired.

'ihe foregoing is merely one of a number of imechanical arrangements which might be employed in carrying out myv invention. Iclaimvasmy invention 1. In combination, in a gear rim holder,

a; supporting bracket, a plurality of radiallyrinovable expansion members carried by;

theibracket, an annularly disposed compression member for engaging one edge-of the gear rim and also carried by the bracket,

.means for engaging the other. edge. .of the.

rim, and actuatingmeans for movii'ig the expansion members into engagement with s the innersurface of the gear r m and for bringing the compression- -meinbr oj=bear against the edge of the rim.

v n V 2..In -a;gear-rim holder, a plurality of" i 10 when applying or removing a gear rim. The

segmental face members .117 overlap s0meresilient shaping members for engaging the inner per iphery side faces of a gear rim. I 'l r 3. In a: gearr'rim'i holder, va. plurality-.. of resiliently movablefshaping. members. for engaging the inner periphery "and side} faces of a gear rim, said shapingmembershaving,

pressure cylinder having a piston"connected to the operatingmechanism in such ,manner 7 that movement of the piston in. one' direcT-I tion forces the said segments'and compr se; sion member into engagement with the gearf rim,'while a movement thereof; in the .op ga 1 5 site. direction efi'ectsthe release of, the gear,

rim. 5.:In a gear rim holder, theicombination of an adjustably' resilient means for engage ing the inner face of the gear rim to cor rect and prevent radial distortionsf and means for engaging the edges "ofthe ear 7 Q I rim to correct and prevent axialdistortions thereof.

6. In a gear rim holder, an adiiistably re i silient means, for engaging the inner face -of the gear rim, means for engaging the: edges. of the -rim, and] a common actuating cracln By providing a properly calibrated spring and regulating, by the adjusting screw. 23, the length of travel of the rod mechanism for both of said means whereby said means operate to correct and prevent circumferential distortions of the gear-rim. 1.

f. In a' gear rim holder, a plurality of expansible segmental members the combined v per pheries of which, when in expanded; position, present a c rcumferential. support: [i

-ing surface broken at intervals by spaces between the edges .of adjacentsegments, Mandi 1.

1 means covering the said spacesto prevent.

access P e q nching uid theretliroughv to the inner face oftliegear rim. I 8; In combination, in ag i h d 7 a, plurality of 'expansible segmental memhere the combined peripheries .off -which, when in expanded position, present aacircumferentialsupporting surface to themner face of the gear rim,said surface bro ken at intervals -bythe spaces 'betweeiiadi jaicent segments,; and face plates substantially coextensive with the supporting-sure faces of thesegmental members but extending over the spaces between adjacent edges members and detachably secured to the supof the segmental members. porting surface.

9. In combination in a gear rim holder, In testimony whereof I have hereunto 10 a plurality of expansible segmental memsubscribed my name this 14th day of March 5 bers so combined as to form a circumferen- 1921. I

tial supporting surface, and face plates substantially coextensive with said segmental WILLIAM H. PHILLIPS. 

